Richard (Tre) Pietras III '21 Recruiting Profile

Even though he had to work a lot to support our family, he always found time for us. One thing we have always bonded over was our love of sports. Football, basketball, wrestling, baseball, we played and watched everything together. Despite his long hours and limited resources, my dad always found a way to get us to the field for practice and he was always our biggest fan. 

But sports did not always come easy for me. I’ve never been the biggest on the field; in fact, I am quite often the smallest. From t-ball to middle school to varsity sports, I stand out for my size - or lack thereof. It is not uncommon to hear fans, and even players and coaches, from the opposing teams make a comment when I take the field or the court. As they say, ‘actions speak louder than words’. My dad taught us grit and perseverance and gave us a stubborn determination to never quit. I use my skill, instinct, and will-to-win to push me through and outperform the competition, regardless of my size. 

My most memorable athletic accomplishment to date was pitching a perfect game as a 10th grader in the Region quarter-finals. I was on top of the world and couldn’t wait to see what my junior and senior years would bring. I continued working hard in the off season, playing American Legion baseball for the summer, and football and basketball my junior year. By far the shortest player on any varsity team we faced, I helped lead our basketball team to the VHSL State Championships in March 2020. 

Then the pandemic began and the VHSL tournament was cancelled the next day. Then school was cancelled and baseball was cancelled and everything seemed so surreal. I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss it, I do. I miss the competition and the team family and seeing all of the hard work pay off. But even though I missed my junior season because of the pandemic, and may even miss my senior year, I keep working hard with the end goal in mind. Like many other high school student-athletes, my ultimate dream is to play baseball at the next level - both in college and professionally. While keeping me grounded, my dad has also pushed me and believed in me and helped me realize that anything is possible and I won’t give up on my dreams even during a setback like COVID-19. 

My dad uses his own life lessons to help teach us about rising above challenges, and he has always preached that when sports aren’t there, education will be and I’ve always taken my academics seriously. My dad has always been honest with us about his past. He was smart and a good athlete too, but he didn’t always make the best decisions. After facing some challenges in high school, he was considering dropping out. He enrolled in the GED program at his high school but that path has not always been easy. So while we may not be out on the field or the court, I am in the classroom working just as hard and I will be the first in my family to go to college. Knowing how hard my dad has worked to raise us, I know one way I can thank him is to push myself and believe in myself, just like he believes in me. 

I know he won’t read this, but I want my dad to know how much I believe in him, too. He kept working hard and now works for the town government and is earning his environmental certifications to move up in his career. My dad has also gotten married and my brother and I have a little sister now. My little sister has severe autism and we all have to help her push through, too. My dad and step-mom have put me and my siblings first their whole life. Everything he does is for us, he just wants us to succeed and the way he has pushed me into the man I am today, now it’s my turn to show him what I’ve become.